The White House said Wednesday that the government is investigating a protest in which anti-fossil fuel activists, branded “eco-terrorists” by an oil group, broke into several pipeline facilities.
On Tuesday, protesters cut through fences and manually closed pipeline valves in North Dakota, Montana and Minnesota. The pipelines in those states provide about 2.5 million barrels of oil per day to refineries in the U.S., according to the American Fuel and Petrochemicals Manufacturers.
White House press secretary Josh Earnest said the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Transportation are investigating the incidents. They are “trying to get to the bottom of what exactly happened and what potential steps could be taken to ensure the safety and security of our energy infrastructure.”
Five oil pipelines were disrupted in a coordinated attack by environmentalists, Reuters reported. The lines were shut down for between five and seven hours and 10 people were arrested.
Earnest said the incident highlights the unsecure nature of the country’s energy infrastructure.
“When it comes to the security of our infrastructure, particularly our energy infrastructure, that’s something that the United States and this administration takes quite seriously,” Earnest said.
The American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers deemed the activists “eco-terrorists” and said they put themselves, workers and nearby communities at risk with their actions.
“Criminal trespassing, destruction of property and the creation of potentially unsafe conditions, are not proper forms of protests,” said Chet Thompson, president of the group. “The belief and politics of a few eco-terrorists do not supersede the rights of millions of consumers who could face increased costs because of reduced supplies of energy.”
